Starkiller: The Clone Wars
by blddmn
Summary: Plagued by half remembered visions of a past life, Jedi Apprentice Galen Marek finds himself caught up in the drama and action of the Clone Wars as he tries to find his destiny. However, what he doesn't know is that there are Dark designs upon him and that his life is not what it seems. Galen/Ahsoka. Rated M just to be sure.
1. Arrival: Part One

**Starkiller: The Clone Wars**

Arrival: Part One

The blast of force lightning from behind shouldn't have surprised him. He had even warned Kota that the Emperor was still powerful, even in defeat. But still, attack had surprised him. But years of brutal training at the hands of Darth Vader had conditioned him to act swiftly in any circumstance; and this was no exception.

Leaping into the path of the Emperor's force attack, Galen channelled the force around him into the singular purpose of preventing the Sith Lord's attack from harming anybody else, enabling him to block the force lighting with his own hands.

"Go, hurry!" he shouted to Kota. Urging him with all his will to get to the Rouge Shadow and escape before it was too late. "Protect the senators!"

Turning his back on his friend and mentor, Galen once again faced the Emperor. His foe's face was contorted in a grotesque mix of hatred and enjoyment as he forced more power into his attack.

As he stared into the wrathful eyes of the tyrannical ruler of the Galaxy, Galen realised that he only had one option if he was to give the rebels enough time to escape with there lives. He had to stop the Emperor and his Imperial servants from preventing the Rogue Shadow to escape.

And to do that, he would have to sacrifice himself.

Knowing that this would his be his final and greatest act, Galen forced all of his will and power into closing the gap between him and the Emperor. His focus completely on his opponent, he barely even noticed as storm troopers piled into the room and opened fire on the fleeing rebels. However the knowledge of their presence gave him the impetus to take the next step forwards.

The concentration of force energy between them was reaching critical mass, and so ferocious was their battle of wills that when, with a mighty war cry, Galen finally reached the Emperor the resulting explosion sent everyone within the room flying away from the epicentre.

Time seemed to slow as he was thrown through the air. _Maybe it's the adrenaline_, he mused to himself as he hurtled at high velocity towards what would undoubtedly be his death. _I only hope the others have time to escape_, he thought as he caught a glimpse of the Rogue Shadow taking off in the wake of the force explosion.

Then his body impacted with the floor, and he knew no more.

...~SW~...

...~SW~...

Galen returned to consciousness with a sudden jolt, causing him to topple unceremoniously from the padded stool he had been meditating on.

"What the kriff?" he mumbled to himself as he pulled himself up from the floor. Looking around, he recognised the room he was in as one of the many quiet rooms used for meditation throughout the Jedi Temple. Thankfully, he was the only person in the room.

Shaking his head, he tried to recall the vision he had been having before falling from his seat. He caught flashes of it; brief, unconnected moments, none of which seemed to make sense. There was a tunnel, some green light, the familiar hum of lightsabers, and a strange deep breathing noise.

"Argh! This is why I hate meditation," he moaned as he sat back down on the edge of the stool, head bent down with his hands covering his face.

It had been like this for as long as he could remember. The visions. The half remembered dreams. The sense that there was something more that he was missing.

And then there was the Dark side; the foreboding presence in the back of his mind that hinted at limitless power, and the knowledge of how to use it. Galen didn't know why he felt the Dark presence, and he knew it was not something experienced by the other Jedi. Yet there it was; lurking and waiting, a temptation that he knew he must never give in to.

Galen leaned back and took in a great gulp of air, trying to clear his mind of the visions that had assailed him. In times gone by, he had kept a diary of all these visions, but after years of that revealing nothing he had given up on that avenue of discovery. Now he was focusing more on accessing them through meditation, hoping that he would gain insight that way rather than through his dreams.

"A fat lot of good that's done me," he groused in annoyance. The visions came and went as they always had, leaving but vague memories and feelings, but no real understanding.

"Maybe that's just because you need more practice, boy."

Galen jerked up from his seat, standing to attention as he looked towards the doorway where the voice had come from.

"Master Kota," he said embarrassedly, flicking a glance at the chuckling master. "I didn't realise that you were there."

"I only just arrived," the older Jedi waved him off as he moved into the room to sit on one of the other stools. "I take it you are still having trouble with your visions?"

"Yes, Master," Galen admitted, rubbing the back of his head in a nervous gesture. He had always been loath to admit weakness. "They are just as undecipherable as ever, even with meditation."

Master Kota just sat there, looking at him for a few moments, a contemplative look on his face. "Then perhaps it is the will of the Force that you do not know the meaning behind these visions," he said at length.

"But what use is that to me now?" Galen retorted, vexed by his lack of understanding.

"None whatsoever," Kota replied with a chuckle. "Be mindful that your frustration at the situation does not lead you to anger..."

"Because anger is a path to the Dark side, etcetera etcetera," Galen finished the popular Jedi saying.

"Exactly," Kota grinned. "It's good to see that Master Yoda's teachings haven't gone to waste on the younger generations."

"Only because it has been repeated so often that it's drilled into my skull, old man," Galen replied with his own grin, Kota's jovial attitude helping him to break out of his bad mood.

"Just try to keep up with your meditations," Kota added more seriously. "You never know, perseverance may yet bring you what you seek."

"Yes, Master."

"That said, I think that you've had more than enough meditation for today," Kota said with yet another mischievous grin. "Now that you've spent the best part of the morning sitting around, I feel that it's high time for some Lightsaber training."

"And here I thought the Jedi lifestyle was one of peace," Galen quipped as he stood up and stretched, treating the tension in his back from sitting around for so long.

"Alas that we two are men of action," Kota laughed as they headed to the door. "Now you get yourself down to the training room for lessons with Master Drallig."

"But Master Drallig refuses to train me in Juyo," Galen complained.

"He rarely teaches _anyone_ Juyo," Kota pointed out. "Which is exactly why _I've_ been tutoring you in it's usage. Besides, your a natural when it comes to Lightsaber combat, even if you do insist on using that silly reverse Grip."

"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean it's in any way inferior," Galen pointed out with a smirk. "And my point still stands; why bother practising with Master Drallig if he won't teach the form I'm learning?"

"Because there's nobody else available that has any knowledge of form seven," Kota replied. "I'd spar with you myself – Force knows I need something fun to do right now – but, unfortunately, I must attend a meeting with the Council about our next deployment."

"I take it we'll be leaving soon then?" Galen arched an eyebrow at his Master. "We off to anywhere interesting?"

"Seems that way, though I have no idea where we'll be headed," Kota admitted. "Although from what I've heard, General Grievous has launched a fresh assault upon the Bothan sector, so we could well end up heading there."

"Sounds good, I have to admit, I miss being able to join in on the action."

"Weren't you only just telling me the Jedi were meant to be peaceful?" Kota smirked good naturedly at him.

"Shut up, Master," Galen responded with an equally sardonic smile.

"Watch your cheek, boy. Now get on over to Master Drallig," Kota ordered him as they reached the point where they would part ways. "I'll not have it said that my apprentice backs down from a challenge. If Master Drallig doesn't want to teach you Juyo then tell him he's a son of a Hutt then beat the snot out of him."

"I'll get right on it, Master," Galen acknowledged, bowing his head slightly in a respectful farewell. "Enjoy your meeting."

"Try not to lose too badly," Kota replied, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'll see you soon."

With that, the older Jedi headed into an upwards bound elevator while Galen began his journey down to the lower levels to find Cin Drallig, the resident master and primary tutor of Lightsaber combat.

...~SW~...

...~SW~...

Galen stood back as a group of Initiates walked across the corridor he was traversing. The smiling faces and excitement as the Younglings moved off to their lessons reminded him of his own time as an Initiate, here at the Temple.

He had been a peculiar case, never quite fitting in with the other students. Some of the older Jedi, such as his teachers, had speculated that it was due to his advanced ability. Others had thought it was because of his tendency towards unsociability, as he would often ignore other children in favour of spending time alone. He himself thought it was more due to the Dark presence in the back of his mind; a force that he was constantly fighting on either a conscious or instinctual level to hold in check.

Whatever it was, these smiling faces were both reminiscent of him, yet completely different.

The Temple itself was exactly the same as it had been for the past decade and a half; the halls were lofty, grand, and filled with light. All the surfaces wither were smooth and polished to the point where, despite its beauty, the Temple felt as if it lacked personality. Having been at the temple since he was a toddler, Galen could remember little of whatever home he'd had before joining the order.

Clearing his mind of such distracting thoughts, Galen made his way to the training room, a large open room surrounded by statues of ancient Jedi, and with a viewing platform above the main floor.

Inside he found his quarry. Cin Drallig was busy sparring with his former apprentice, the recently Knighted Serra Keto. Galen watched from the entrance as the two Jedi danced around each other, both of them employing aspects from all seven of the classical forms of Lightsaber combat as well as adding their own distinct flairs.

Serra, for her part, was an ardent practitioner of the duel blade style of Jar'Kai and subsequently Niman style combat, which she used in conjunction with Ataru. Together, the forms allowed her to attack from just about any direction with an unrelenting flurry of strikes that would have overwhelmed most opponents in a matter of moments.

However, Cin Drallig was no lesser opponent, his own style of combat perfectly integrating aspects of Soresu for defending against Serra's more ferocious flurries with Djem So and Makashi attacks whenever she was in transition. Such was his mastery of the blade that despite Serra's unremitting offence, it always seemed as if _she_ was the one losing ground to her former Master.

Galen was not fooled into trying to over analyse their Lightsaber styles in order to form a strategy to overcome them; he knew that both were well versed (to the point of mastery in the case of Cin Drallig) in all seven forms of Lightsaber combat and could seamlessly transition between them to best deal with any opponent.

Soon enough, however, their sparring match came to a close. Master Drallig leaping forward just as Serra went to feint to his left to strike at her with a ferocious string of Juyo attacks, forcing the Knight to adopt a much more defensive stance. With the speed and power of Drallig's attacks, Serra was effectively prevented from using Ataru, and soon the older Jedi was inside her guard, levelling precise Makashi strikes to disarm and disable his opponent.

"Ah, kriff!" the young woman swore as she bent to pick up her Lightsabers. "I thought I might have had you for a moment there."

"You need to work more on your defence," Master Drallig informed her sagely, as he clapped her on the shoulder. "But well fought, my old Padawan. That was no easy fight, and I can assure you that I was not holding back."

"Easy for you to say," she retorted with an affectionate smile for her old Master. "I'm sure I didn't get you to move an inch from where you wanted to be."

"No," Drallig admitted, "but you certainly made it difficult for me." He looked over to where Galen was leaning against the doorway. "And it seems we have a visitor."

Serra looked up too, arching an eyebrow at the young Apprentice. "Kota's Apprentice. It's Galen, right?"

"Indeed it is," he replied calmly.

"I take it your Master wants you to practice your blade work then?" Drallig interjected.

"You surmise correctly," Galen replied as he walked into the room.

"And you still have your sight set on Juyo?" the Master pressed.

Galen couldn't help but smirk a little; despite Drallig's constant refusal to train him in the seventh form, he had finally received the training he desired from Master Kota. "Indeed, my Master has been tutoring me in it's use."

Drallig made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a 'hmph' before glancing over to his former Apprentice. "In that case, why don't you pit your skills against Serra. I'm sure she'd enjoy some practice against a Juyo user."

"Force knows I need it after that last fight," Serra admitted with a light laugh.

Galen scowled at the Knight for a moment, he had _really_ wanted to try his blade against Master Drallig. Then again, maybe it would be good practice to face off against the junior blade master.

Drawing his Lightsaber, he dialled down the settings and palmed the handle into his preferred reverse Shien grip. Opposite him, Serra readied her own blades.

While the two young Jedi prepared to face each other, Master Drallig moved off to the side so he could watch in much the same way that Galen had done earlier. "Begin!"

Galen and Serra sprang forth almost simultaneously; Galen using the force to propel himself forward as he went for a dashing strike while Serra sprang up, aiming to leap over his head and deliver a strike to his unprotected back.

Galen swung his blade behind him and twisted, only just blocking one of Serra's blades and dodging the other. The Knight swiftly capitalised on the opportunity and launched a blistering flurry of attacks while Galen was still on the defensive.

However Galen was (as Master Kota often remarked) a prodigy with a blade, and swiftly applied the principals of Djem So, to use hard parries and sweeping power attacks to dominate his foe. Soon it was Serra on the defensive, needing to use both of her Lightsabers simply to stop Galen's onslaught seriously reduced her offensive capacity.

Galen had always enjoyed combat. He didn't quite understand how or why, but when the adrenaline was flowing and he had an enemy to face, he would find himself slipping into styles of fighting that he had never been trained in. Yet despite this he was able to perfectly implement a verity of devastating attacks, such as a a swift yet powerful Shien attack that was not used by other Jedi.

His Lightsaber arced and slashed at a frightening pace as he forced Serra to give ground. He used his sheer presence and power to prevent her from attempting any of her favoured Ataru moves while at the same time switching to Juyo in order to completely overwhelm his foe.

"_Shavit_! You're fast!" Serra hissed as she narrowly dodged Galen's Lightsaber, immediately raising hers again in order to block his swift follow through attack.

"And you're impossible to hit!" Galen grunted as he reverted back to Djem So, launching another blistering assault.

Suddenly, Serra switched her own form to Juyo, managing to parry Galen's strike and launch her own counter attack, catching Galen off guard and forcing him to transition to Soresu in order to defend himself.

Seizing the moment, Serra leapt to the side, her blades scything through the air as she once again attempted to use the mobility of Ataru to full effect.

Realising that, despite his skill, Serra's experience and knowledge off all the forms made her a superior fighter, Galen resolved to try a different approach. From behind his solid defence, he drew the force in towards him and then, just as his focus on the force left an opening for Serra to exploit, he released the energy outwards in a powerful force repulse.

Serra was sent tumbling through the air and landed painfully on her back. Shaking her head in an attempt to make the world stop spinning, she looked up to see Galen leaping through the air towards her, Lightsaber aimed for a finishing blow. "_Sithspit_" she spat as she rolled to the side, swinging her Lightsabers out to block his attack.

However, Galen's attacks proved to be too much for the downed Knight and soon she found herself down to one Lightsaber. Managing to regain her feet, she attempted to summon her other blade but found, to her great shock, that Galen was using the Force to prevent her using her own powers.

They locked blades once more, and Galen pushed her back once again. Again and again they clashed until eventually Galen was able to counter one of her strikes and level a solid blow against her chest, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Breathing hard and staring down at his fallen foe, Galen was reminded of their spectator as he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Well then, Cin, it seems that my Apprentice has been holding out on us until now," Kota's said speculatively as he approached.

Galen spun around to face his Master, knocking out a respectful bow. "Master."

"Less of the formal stuff, boy," Kota waved him off in an attempt at nonchalance, although Galen could tell that beneath his calm façade, Kota was brimming with pride. "I see that you've grown strong in your knowledge of the force."

"Thank you, Master," Galen replied, relishing in the praise of his mentor.

"Indeed, you displayed great skill, young Galen," Master Drallig said more reservedly. "My only concern is that in your drive to dominate the battlefield, you stray too close to giving into anger and passion; especially with the use of Juyo."

"_My _Apprentice will not fall to the Dark side," Kota cut in abruptly, levelling a glare at the other Master. "I trust in his ability to moderate himself. When the time comes for him to be tested, I know he will not fall prey to the darkness."

"I meant no disrespect, Rahm," Drallig placated the other Jedi, his hands splayed in a calming position. "You have taught the boy well, and I am sure you are correct in your assessment of him. Yet, as with all things, his ultimate fate remains to be seen."

"Indeed," Kota replied flatly, arching an eyebrow and crossing his arms. "In any case, Galen and I are elsewhere. Force guide you, Master Drallig, Knight Keto." Kota nodded his farewell to the two Jedi, Galen copying him but substituted the nod for a more respectful bow.

Leaving the training hall, Kota and Galen headed towards the landing platform, both of them keeping a brisk, military pace.

"I take it our shore leave has come to an end then?" Galen questioned as they marched towards their destination.

"Right in one, boy," Kota replied. "We've been ordered to take the militia to Bothawui to assist General Skywalker in repelling the CIS forces attacking the planet."

"So your hunch about being sent to the Bothan sector was correct," Galen noted.

"Indeed it was," Kota acknowledged, his lips flicking upwards in a brief smile. "Best thing about all this is that we've _finally_ been given a proper cruiser; a Venator."

"Sweet," Galen grinned. Kota's refusal to lead clones into battle had meant they were forced to rely on upgraded civilian class ships to move the militia from battle to battle. This was due largely to the Navy's reluctance to let go of one if its Star Destroyers to someone who wouldn't work with clones. It had been a problem that vexed Kota (and Galen by extension) to no end. "How'd you manage to wrangle that one?"

"Almost all the maintenance and gunnery crews are clones," Kota admitted with a frown. "About half the bridge staff, too."

"Well that sucks," Galan said. He wholly agreed with his Master's assessment of clone soldiers. Sure, they were smart, well trained, and loyal. But they lacked the ability to criticize their commanders when a bad call was made, and they were too stringent (almost droid like, not that you'd tell them that) in following orders and protocol. Also, due to there identical nature, once you learned how to beat one clone, you'd effectively figured out the weakness of the entire army.

"I'm sure it will be perfectly horrid," Kota grumbled. "I've already been forced to promise the Council not to discus the moral implications of the clone army with any of the bridge staff!"

"What a pity," Galen rolled his eyes. Another reason Kota didn't like the clones was because he felt the creation of living beings bred for the sole purpose of dying in a war they had no stake in was unethical to the highest degree. Although Galen could see his Master's point, he wasn't so up in arms about it, he was simply content not to fight at the head of a clone squad.

"Less cheek, boy," Kota levelled a mock scowl at him as they reached the hanger bay. Looking about they locked onto a (relatively) flashy looking speeder and had a quick game of Hutt, Trandoshan, Wookie (Hutt buys Trandoshan, which skins Wookie, which rips the arms off Hutt) in which Kota won the right to pilot the vehicle.

"So what do you know about General Skywalker?" Galen asked as they flew away from the Temple.

"He's got a reputation for getting the job done. He uses unconventional, high risk tactics that either work out extremely well, or kill off half of his troops. While the Council believes he's highly reckless, he has more than enough raw power to back up most of his actions." Kota answered as they sped through the Coruscant air.

"And your personal opinion?"

"Can wait until I've actually met him," Kota said firmly. "Despite any reservations about his character and leadership style, the fact remains that he and the 501st legion have an excellent track record."

"Fair enough," Galen shrugged. "At least he should make things interesting."

"We'll see about that," Kota smirked. "Speaking of interesting, I hear that his Padawan uses the same ridiculous reverse grip as you do."

"You're just jealous because you suck at Shien," Galen teased his mentor.

"Envy leads to the Dark side," Kota retorted with a smile.

"Sure thing, Master Yoda," Galen rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I think you should get to know Skywalker's Padawan. Go make flower chains, or whatever it is you kids do with your time," Kota picked up on his earlier thread, flicking an amused glance at his Apprentice.

"You're such a dick, Master," Galen retorted, once again rolling his eyes at his mentor's attempt at humour.

"And you're completely flaccid," Kota said amusedly, picking up on a whole new line of silliness (and causing Galen to facepalm).

"Forget it! Forget it," Galen knew from experience that it was best to stop Kota before he got ahead of himself. "What's this Padawan's name, anyway?"

"Tano. Ahsoka Tano."

...~SW~...

...~SW~...

**Author's Note**

Thanks for all those who read to the end of this chapter. This is my first foray into writing Star Wars fanfic, so tell me what I did wrong (or right, for that matter). I'd particularly appreciate any advice on how to write Lightsaber battles; so be sure to leave a **review**.

I've read a couple of Galen/Ahsoka fics before and thought I'd try my hand at it. I have a full plan for a 28 chapter story and hope to break some new ground (conceptually at least) over the course of this fic.

Thanks again,

blddmn


	2. Arrival: Part Two

**Starkiller: The Clone Wars**

Arrival: Part Two

Galen walked purposefully on to the bridge of the ship. Nearby several of the bridge crew saluted him while the rest kept about their work. Out of the viewport he could see the expanse of the Coruscant military docks, the whole place a bustle of activity as ships were loaded up with men and munitions, ready to take the fight to the Separatists.

"Nice of you to join us, boy," Kota called from the front of the bridge. "Would I be correct in the assumption that you were inspecting the main cannons?"

"Obviously," Galen chuckled as he moved up beside his Master. "Those things are huge."

"Indeed they are," Kota said with a predatory smile. "I must admit to a certain feeling of excitement over being able to use some truly heavy ordnance."

"I know what you mean, Master," Galen agreed. "Having a Star Destroyer should make for an excellent change of pace."

"That it shall," Kota chuckled. "Are the gunnery decks all stocked and ready?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good," Kota nodded to his Apprentice before turning to the ship's Captain. "Take her away, Captain."

"Yes, General," the man replied before he started shouting orders for the bridge crew to make ready for take off.

"Back into the fray, boy," Kota grinned. "Think we'll show Skywalker and the 501st how things are really done?"

"Undoubtedly, Grievous won't know what hit him," Galen said confidently.

"That's the spirit, boy!" Kota let out a deep laugh. "Captain, how long till we can make the jump to Lightspeed?"

"We just need to clear the planet's gravitational field," the Captain responded. "So just a few more minutes."

Galen watched with interest (the jump to hyperspace always remained fascinating to watch, no matter how many times one had gone through the process) as the cruiser cleared Coruscant's gravitational pull and prepared to enter Hyperspace. A few moments later, the stars seemed to elongate towards them as the cruiser catapulted forwards at faster than light speed.

...~SW~...

...~SW~...

Being in Hyperspace was boring. Almost crazily so.

Galen spent the spare time practising his meditation, and thus becoming increasingly frustrated when he would slip into nonsensical visions. Currently, he was remembering the colour red, back pain, and the smell of decay. It was neither pleasant nor useful.

"Ah, shavit!" he swore as he stood up from where he had been sitting cross legged in his quarters. _I may as well go find Master Kota_, he thought as he headed for the bridge. _We should be exiting Hyperspace soon_.

True to form, Kota was found standing at the helm of the bridge, reading what was most likely an intelligence report on a holopad.

"So what exactly are we expecting when we arrive?" Galen asked as he stood beside his Master.

"If you had been at the briefing you would know," Kota pointed out, eyes not moving from the holopad.

"I was busy trying to meditate, just as _you_ instructed, Master," Galen replied easily.

"Hmph! Make sure you don't miss the next one," Kota scowled as he put down the holopad. "Truth is we don't know what to expect, the transmission High Command received from Skywalker was very brief. All we know is that General Grievous is laying siege to Bothawui."

"So we should be ready for immediate engagement?" Galen questioned.

"Indeed we should," Kota agreed. "You'll be in charge of a squad of V-19s to be deployed in the event of a space battle."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable being a pilot; I prefer to get up close and personal," Galen frowned. "Dogfights aren't really my thing."

"Even so, you'll do it," Kota said firmly. "I need you out there to lead the men while I get this Destroyer over to rendezvous with General Skywalker's fleet."

"Fine, fine," Galen gave in with a half hearted shrug before deciding to change the subject. "So anyway, why do you think Grievous is attacking Bothan space? I thought he was focusing his attacks on the outer rim."

"He was. But it was inevitable that the Confederacy would target the Bothawui," Kota said, his face marred by a grim expression. "The Bothan spynet is the most detailed information network in the galaxy, if Grievous gains access to it then he'll be able to outmanoeuvre our forces with ease."

Galen looked pensively out of the viewport at the blurry blue light of Hyperspace. Both he and Kota remained silent in contemplation for a few moments before the clanking of boots alerted them to the arrival of one of the bridge officers.

"General, the Captain wishes me to inform you that we will be exiting Hyperspace shortly," said the clone; one of the staff that had been foisted upon Kota in order for him to get his hands on a Star Destroyer.

"Acknowledged," Kota replied, not turning from his position looking out of the viewport. "Have all hands report to battle stations. I have a feeling we'll be coming in hot."

"Yes, Sir!" the clone responded with a crisp salute before rushing off to relay the order.

Less that five minutes later, Galen watched as the ship came out of Hyperspace... right into a torrent of laser fire coming from a Commerce Guild support destroyer... which they were currently on a collision course with.

"Oh frak," Galen muttered at the same time as Kota bellowed, "Take evasive action! All batteries, open fire!"

"General! We have two Banking Clan frigates advancing on our starboard flank!" one of the clones shouted from across the bridge.

"Blast! They were waiting for us," Kota cursed as he looked out of the viewport towards the approaching Separatist ships. "Focus fire on the destroyer, then make full speed towards Skywalker's fleet," he shouted back at the bridge crew. "Galen, take the fighters and stall those frigates."

"Yes, Master," Galen acknowledged as he sprinted away from the bridge, just managing to catch an elevator down to the hanger bay as he heard Kota's bellowed command of, "Divert power to the starboard deflectors, I want to put that destroyer between us and the frigates!"

A few minutes of irritatingly slow elevators and frantic running later saw Galen meet up with the team of fighter pilots that had been assigned to his command.

"All right gold squad, you're with me," he shouted as he moved over to his Delta-7 starfighter. "We'll be making a precision strike on those frigates while the rest of the fighter squadrons delay the enemy advance."

"Commander, without support from the Venator we won't be able to penetrate the shields on those frigates," one of the pilots said nervously while getting in his V-19.

"The NTB-630 bombers will be attacking their shields," Galen informed the squad. "We'll be focusing on damaging their docking rings, its the point with the weakest shielding."

"Yes, Sir!"

"All right then, lets move out," Galen ordered as he activated his engines and headed for the hangar doors.

Once past the huge blast doors, the carnage of the space battle was apparent to anybody in a starfighter. Laser bolts were flying between the Venator class Star Destroyer and the now critically damaged Commerce Guild support destroyer. The republic ship was now manoeuvring into position behind the Separatist ship in an attempt to use it as cover against the swiftly approaching enemy frigates.

"Gold squad, form up behind me. Loose formation," Galen barked into his communicator.

Swerving beneath the support destroyer, Galen lead the squad away from the skirmish with the remaining Separatist forces from that ship and aimed himself towards the oncoming frigates. Thankfully, his sensors indicated that several other squads were forming up around him as they made towards their next target.

"Red and Black squads, make sure you keep their fighters away from our bombers," Galen ordered as they approached firing range.

"Roger that, Commander," Red leader confirmed. "We have vulture droids incoming!"

"Gold squad, increase speed. We need to break through their fighters," Galen commanded as he flicked the necessary controls in his cockpit. "All other fighters, engage!"

On his command, the Republic forces opened fire. A barrage of laser blasts went hurtling towards the droid fighters which in turn returned fire on the Republic forces. Soon Galen's vision was filled with the bright lights of blaster fire as he led Gold squadron through the Separatist forces, all the while calling out to the Force to guide him on a safe path through the deluge of laser bolts.

"Look sharp, Commander, we've got tri-fighters coming in on our tail," the voice of one of his pilots crackled over the com channel.

"Roger that, Gold leader. Take Golds six and seven to intercept," Galen responded.

"Yes, Sir!" came the barked response.

Flicking his gaze down to his scanner, he saw the three friendly ships break away from the main group to engage the tri-fighters.

"Ok boys, we're moving into range of the frigate's point defence cannons," Galen informed the squad. "This is where it gets ugly."

No sooner had the words had left his mouth, a barrage of laser fire was unleashed by the frigate's defence turrets. Galen swung his ship in a sweeping motion to flank around the foremost Separatist ship, weaving in and out of the streams of blaster fire.

"Frak! R4, see if you can boost the deflector shields!" he ordered his astromech. Out of the corner of his eye he saw one of his squad mates explode as laser fire ripped through his shields and tore through the V-19's hull.

"Golds two through five, launch missiles at the docking rings!" He shouted. "The rest of you break off, we've got enemy fighter's coming in!"

Ignoring the resounding chorus of 'yes Sir' from his squad, Galen suddenly changed direction, moving to engage the enemy fighters that were closing in with half of Gold squadron doing the same.

Changing to attack speed, Galen started opening fire on the droid forces moving against him. Ducking, weaving and rolling in a seemingly random pattern, he let the Force flow through him, guiding him past the blaster fire and missiles in an unending dance of death. Every way he turned there was another fighter to be shot down, and every time he shot one, another would swoop in to attack him in its place.

Seeing that, despite his best efforts, he had already lost five of the ten ship Gold squad (Gold leader and the survivors of the attack on the frigate having returned earlier). Incensed, he called the bomber squadron over the com channel.

"Where the frak are you guys!?" he bellowed as he rolled out of the way of a vulture droid's missile.

"Sorry for the delay, Commander," came the apologetic voice of one of the bomber pilots. "Seppies had us pinned down but we're on our way now with a fighter escort from the Resolute. ETA two minutes."

"Get here in one!" Galen barked back over the channel as he wheeled his fighter around. "All Gold units, disengage! I repeat, disengage! Lead these fighters into firing range for our reinforcements."

"Roger that, Commander!"

From there Galen, along with the rest of Gold squadron, manoeuvred themselves so as to retreat from the Separatist fighters. Diverting power to their rear deflectors and thrusters, the small strike force started leading the enemy on a route that would ultimately leave them outflanked by the approaching Republic forces.

"Gold squadron, come in," a voice buzzed over the com system. "This is General Skywalker, do you copy?"

"Roger, General. This is Commander Marek, we could use a hand over here," Galen replied. Checking his scanner he saw that the lead fighters of the reinforcements were two Jedi starfighters; presumably Skywalker and his Padawan.

"Acknowledged. We're moving into firing range now."

Galen banked to the side, avoiding a stream of blaster fire from a vulture droid at the same time as the incoming Republic forces opened fire. The area around him was thick with blaster fire, but thankfully, the CIS fighters were swiftly being overwhelmed by the Jedi led flanking attack.

"Bombers are clear for the attack run!" Skywalker's voice buzzed over the intercom. "Marek, take your remaining force and cover those bombers. I'll mop up the remaining fighters."

"Acknowledged," Galen replied as he relayed the message to what was left of gold team.

Forming up around the bombers, Galen soon found himself once again facing the point defence lasers of the Separatist frigates.

"Stay focused boys, we're on the home straight now!" he called over the com channel as he weaved between streams of laser fire. As he rolled out of the way of another turret that had turned to aim at him, he saw the first group of bombers unleashing their payload on the first frigate.

"Shields are down, Sir!" one of the pilots informed him.

"All forces, target their bridge!" Galen shouted over the open channel. On his order, all nearby forces (including some of the reinforcements who had strayed closer to the frigates) turned and unleashed a massive barrage of fire on the bridge of the first frigate.

After that point, the battle was relatively simple. The first frigate was effectively disabled with the loss of its bridge, leaving it to be picked off by the next Republic cruiser to get in range. The process was repeated on the second frigate, and soon after Galen found himself heading towards a cluster of Republic Star Destroyers.

"Galen, this is Kota," his Master's voice buzzed in over a private com channel. "Rendezvous with me aboard the Resolute. Just follow Skywalker if you need directions."

Heeding his Master's advice, Galen moved himself to follow behind the other two Jedi fighters as they moved in to land.

...~SW~...

...~SW~...

Galen landed next to one of the other Jedi starfighters. Going through his post flight checks, he saw as the other two Jedi (not bothering with their own checks) climbed out of their own ships.

Skywalker, he had seen before, albeit not directly; the holonet often covered his more heroic exploits in as dramatic a way as possible. As such, Galen was unsurprised by the Jedi Knight's tall, well built frame and serious demeanour.

What he hadn't expected, however, was the scantily clad Togruta. Her tight fitting top and leggings combination seemed to show more skin than it covered, with the back being almost completely bared and large diamond patterns cut out on the legs. It a rather odd look for a Jedi... not that he was complaining, mind.

Finishing with his checks, he popped the canopy and hopped down, making his way over to where the other two Jedi were leaning against one of the starfighters, apparently waiting for him.

"You took your time, were you having trouble with your ship?" Skywalker teased him with a smirk.

"Aww, play nice, Master," the Togruta butted in, also smirking in a teasing way. "I'm sure it's not his fault that he's not as awesome as us."

Galen scowled at the Padawan. Flicking his gaze over to Skywalker, Galen couldn't help but notice an unusual feeling spread through him now that he was in the presence of the Jedi Knight.

Sure, the feeling_ could_ have been coming from the Padawan, but somehow he knew that the unease he was experiencing was being caused by Skywalker. The whole thing was making him think of his visions, thus giving him the strangest desire to meditate.

"I think you'll find that I'm plenty 'awesome,'" Galen said lamely, his concern over his unease taking priority over the ability to think of witty comebacks.

"Smooth," the Togruta deadpanned, arching a marked brow at him. "I'm Ahsoka, by the way, in case you were wondering."

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm Galen, Galen Marek," Galen said, managing to break himself free of his thoughts and focus once more on the Apprentice in front of him. He stuck his right hand out while his left rubbed the back of his head in a nervous gesture.

"Nice to meet you, Galen," Ahsoka replied with an easy smile. She then clasped him by the forearm (rather than the expected handshake), a greeting that had been popular amongst warrior cultures such as the Mandalorians, and now presumably, the clones.

"Well then, now that you two have gotten acquainted, why don't we head up to the bridge for our super important strategy meeting?" Skywalker said jovially as he pushed off the starfighter and headed towards the nearest elevator.

"Your Master seems... strange," Galen said to Ahsoka as they followed Anakin. _To put it lightly_, he added as an afterthought.

"Nah, that's just Skyguy trying to look cool," Ahsoka chuckled. "He only ever operates in one of three moods; clown, serious, or moody."

"Sounds a bit like my Master," Galen smiled at the comparison. "Maybe it's got something to do with them being old."

"I heard that," Anakin called from ahead of them.

"You were meant to," Ahsoka shouted back at him. "You seem like an all right kind of guy, Galen. Shame that you suck at space combat..."

Galen shot a scowl her way. As he glanced at her he took the time to look over her features while she was still grinning. Her white and blue patterned lekku and montrals could only be described as 'dainty' when compared to those of full grown Togruta, while her facial markings (especially those over her eyebrows) seemed to give her face a more human appearance. Then there was the teeth. The incisors seemed more or less the same as a humans, but her canines were much sharper and she appeared to have serrated molars. Togrutans, it seemed, were carnivorous by nature.

Moving his gaze to look straight ahead (he didn't want to get caught staring), Galen walked along side Ahsoka in a comfortable silence till they reached Anakin.

Soon enough they found themselves in the briefing room surrounding a hologram of the planet Bothawui being projected into the centre of the room. Also in the room with them were General Kota, the Captain of his Star Destroyer, several ranking officers from the militia, Admiral Wullf Yularen, a few other officers, and several high ranking clones from the 501st legion.

"As you can see here, Grievous' forces are deploying their ground forces to attack the capital," Yularen was saying, waving a stick at the hologram to show where the droid fleet was amassed. "Fortunately, the Bothan's anti-orbital defences have prevented the Separatists from being able to attack from orbit. However, given the size of Grievous' force, it is clear to us than a prolonged engagement on the planet will result in an enemy victory unless we can force them to quit the field. General Skywalker."

"Thank you, Admiral," Skywalker said as he stepped forwards. "As we all know, the Separatists are here for one reason, the Bothan spynet. Now, for obvious reason's we can't let them get within a mile of accessing that data. Therefore, our strategy necessitates us engaging Grievous' forces _before_ they are able to lay siege to the capital city."

"With all due respect, General," a blond haired clone interrupted (_wait... what? Since when do clones have blond hair?_ Galen thought confusedly to himself). "Without the defences within the city, we simply don't have the resources to engage the Seppies."

"I know," Anakin said simply. "Which is why we have Master Kota here."

At that point, Kota stepped forward to address the assembled officers. "The key here, is going to be delaying the Separatist's advance," Kota said, his face serious as he slipped seamlessly into his role as General. Unlike Skywalker, Kota's appearance and professionalism matched his rank perfectly. "I and the militia are specialists in defensive and trench warfare, and as such, it will be my men that lead the defence against the CIS forces."

Gelan did a mini fist pump just out of sight of the others; it was always good to have Kota be put in charge of a mission. Despite him being a military genius, Kota was often overlooked for truly important missions because of his objections to the clone army (much to Galen's annoyance).

He cast a swift look around the room, just to make sure that nobody noticed his out of place action. As his eyes flicked around those assembled, he caught the gaze of Ahsoka, who was looking at him in amusement with one brow raised. Galen flushed in embarrassment.

"Now, while the majority of our forces will be focused on stalling the Separatists, an elite strike team will be sent to capture Grievous and neutralise the droid command structure. Which brings us back to General Skywalker," Kota continued, seemingly calm and stern to the room (although Galen noticed his Master flick him an amused look. Apparently Kota had noticed Galen's jubilation on his behalf).

"Thank you, General," Skywalker stepped forward again. "The strike team will consist of myself, General Kota, our Apprentices, Captian Rex, and a small squad from Torrent company. According to the Bothans, General Grievous is currently still on his flag ship with the Separatist fleet."

"Their fleet outnumbers us three to one," one of the flight officers butted in. "We won't be able to get him there."

"Which is why we need to wait for him to go down to lead the ground assault himself," Anakin responded, levelling a baleful glare at the officer. "Which we are certain he will. The spynet is of critical importance, and once he realises that his droids are being engaged away from the city, he will have no choice but to lead an assault himself in order to get the information before we are able to get more reinforcements."

Kota stepped forwards once more. "While all this is happening, the fleet, under the command of Admiral Yularen, will move into a position where they can fire on the droid's ground forces while being covered by the Bothan's anti-orbital weapons. This will act as the catalyst that forces Grievous to make take control on the ground; he cant afford to lose too many forces while the anti-orbital weapons stop him from moving his fleet in on the city."

"Hold on, Master," Galen stopped the older Jedi, having come to a sudden realisation. "If we start using our ships to engage their ground forces, then the Separatist fleet will have no choice but to engage us in space."

"Indeed," Kota said grimly. "This is a high risk plan. Once the CIS fleet commits to an attack while in range of the Bothan's anti-orbital defences, they will have no choice but to attempt an all out assault or risk defeat."

"But that's an engagement we would lose," Ahsoka spoke out, looking slightly shocked at how the plan was unfolding. "Even if we took down most of the Separatist fleet before they beat us, they'd still have enough ships to siege the Bothawui capital."

"It's a high risk plan, Ahsoka," Anakin said gravely. "If we don't defeat Grievous then we will lose the battle. But if we do – and I assure you, we will – then we will have neutralised the entire threat to this sector."

"But couldn't the droid forces just keep on fighting after Grievous goes down?" Galen asked, it seemed a fatal flaw in the plan if they could.

"Normally, yes," Kota admitted. "However, seeing as we will have the droid army already engaged on the ground, with their General dead and their fleet severely damaged and separated from their ground force; the CIS forces will lack the leadership to coordinate their split forces."

"So their only option would be to fall back, or risk blowing the entire operation," Anakin finished.

"We're relying an awful lot on luck here," Galen said uncertainly.

"I agree with Galen, this plan is _shabla_," Ahsoka said, nodding emphatically.

"Language, Ahsoka," Anakin frowned. "Look, I know you all have your reservations, but this is the only shot we have to win this battle. We don't have the time to make up a different plan or wait for reinforcements. If we don't act now then it will be too late, and the Separatists will have access to the Bothan spynet, in which case we may as well give up anyway."

"The 501st will never give up, Sir!" the blond clone barked from nearby.

"I agree with Captain Rex," Yularen put in his bit. "I'll not shirk my duty to the Republic."

All around the room there were choruses to much the same effect. Patriotism and pride doing much to erase any doubts. Galen looked over at the other Padawan and caught her eye. With a nod to each other, they made their decision.

"We're in," Galen said for the two of them.

"Let's show those tinnies what we're made of," Ahsoka said with a feral grin.

Kota looked over the two Apprentices, pleased that they had come around to his way of thinking. After all, when it came to fighting, believing you had the ability to win was half the battle. "All right then, everyone. Now that we're all agreed; let's get down to work!"

...~SW~...

...~SW~...

**Author's Note**

Thanks for those who have read this far. How did you find the space battle? Also, what do you think of my introduction to some of the Clone Wars characters? You know what... you should leave a **review** to tell me what you think ;)

I'd just like to clarify that this story takes place roughly 1-2 years into the clone wars (so about 21BBY) that makes Ahsoka 15 and Galen 17 (originally born 19BBY and dying 2BBY).

Next up: General Grievous and the battle for Bothawui!

Thanks again,

blddmn


End file.
